Decode your date’s dress

The tease

She's wearing: Skinny jeans and high heels

She's thinking: "Doesn't my bum look great in this?"

Read her: She's employing evolutionary tactics to get your attention. "Just like female chimps on heat, a woman in high heels and tight jeans is giving you a clear view of the curve of her buttocks," says body language expert Allan Pease, author of Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love. "Stilettos also thrust her pelvis forward and elongate her legs, all of which alerts you to her fertility." So while you're thinking, long legs, great bum,' your subconscious is already anticipating a withdrawal from your sperm bank.

Your move: Show your appreciation  from a distance. "When a woman puts her fertility out there', don't assume you'll have an easy ride," says Pease. This outfit is a classic tease'. "She's saying she's available, but not necessarily to you." You need to earn her desire. So compliment her shoes (wait until the third date to congratulate her directly on her bottom) then show you're willing to work at wooing her. The way to her heart is through overt respect: take her to exclusive restaurants and bars, then say goodbye at her doorstep for the first few dates. The anticipation of the next step will thrill her. That's what'll set you apart from the rest of the chimps.

The slow burner

She's wearing: A cashmere polo neck

She's thinking: "If you think this is soft, just wait until you feel my skin".

Read her: It's not just because it's cold outside. If she turns up to your third date wearing cashmere, it's shorthand for I want to be touched.' "Cashmere is deliciously soft, warm and smooth  all of which suggests how her naked skin will feel next to yours," says Catherine Harper, author of Fabrics of Desire. Look on it as a kind of foreplay by fabric.

Your move: On your first few dates, wear something soft in a light blue or green  be it a cashmere scarf for warmish daytime dates or a classic mohair sweater on cooler nights. "Whether you're dressing to impress for date number four, or trying to turn long-term friend into girlfriend, these colours and textures send a female friendly message of dependability and emotional sensitivity," says colour psychologist, Angela Wright (colour-affects.co.uk). And remember, touch is all important: a study by the University of North Carolina showed that women needed four hugs a day  and the subsequent release of the orgasm' hormone, oxytocin  to maintain happy relationships. So as your number of dates increases, up the cuddle quotient to pour petrol on her desire.

The Alpha-female

She's wearing: A little red dress

She's thinking: "I want your undivided attention"

Read her: Their ancestors had corsets; modern women have the tailoring genius of Roland Mouret. If there's one thing the fairer sex have always known, it's that men like small waists. When she wears her LRD, she's doing it to show off her curves (wearing black won't get her noticed as much) and give you a refresher course in natural selection. A University of Texas study showed that a low waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 (waist divided by hip measurement) is a potent sign of fertility, and the most appealing to men. "When a woman accentuates her waist with a figure-hugging dress, particularly in a bright colour, she's signalling she's above other females in terms of reproductive ability," says Robin Dunbar, professor of evolution and anthropology at Oxford University.

Your move: You've clocked her Darwinian couture, now appeal to her animal instincts. Flatter her curves, then introduce her to your friends. These simultaneous acts reveal a leonine-like pride in showing her off to other dominant males in your pack, plus a masculine protectiveness to confirm you've risen to her challenge. Come the end of the evening, you'll be her natural selection.

The subtle seductress

She's wearing: A strapless dress

She's thinking: "I'm in the mood for some old-fashioned flirting"

Read her: You don't really believe she forgot' her jacket do you? If she's showing off her collarbones, she's playing bluff with your most primitive desires. The web of nerves around her neck make this area seriously erogenous  and she knows it. "Exposing the flesh at her collarbones is a subtle and age-old way of attracting male attention," says Caroline Cox, fashion historian and author of How to be Adored. "She's luring your mind towards sex without resorting to the obvious." That comes later.

Your move: Those naked shoulders are crying out for your protection. "Her most dense nerve region is where her clavicle connects to her sternum," says Dr Thomas Swift, president of the American Academy of Neurology. This is your target. Take her to the theatre, then make some fast moves when the curtain goes down  at both the interval and the finale. Offer her your jacket and lay it around her shoulders, ensuring you brush the tiny dent at the base of her throat. This will trigger a volley of nerve impulses to her brain. Think of it as the ventilation shaft on her Death Star. Then watch her explode when you hit the target.

The mating gamer

She's wearing: A low-cut top

She's thinking:"Your place or mine?"

Read her: Breasts are like adverts: they're all about timing the message correctly. A study at the Universities of California and Texas showed women dress more revealingly when they're ovulating (as the researchers found, it's no coincidence that lap dancers earn more tips at this time). During this window of high fertility, she'll dress in the subconscious hope of attracting a sperm donor. Your cue.

Your move: Show her she's not paddling in the shallow end of the gene pool with you. "She's aiming to attract a high-calibre mate so dress to emphasise your masculine assets," says Dunbar. Straighten your collar and skinny tie (strengthening your jawline), wear a jacket to maximise your shoulder breadth and finish your look with a belt to narrow your hips. Next, get your dancing shoes on. According to Dunbar, good coordination and rhythm sends a strong message of high-quality genes. Nothing will impress a woman more than mastery of the intricate footwork in a salsa (find lessons near you at salsajive.co.uk and you'll reap the rewards). Just look at Brendan Cole: dancing can seriously help you punch above your weight.

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